It is hard to believe that October is hurtling towards its conclusion. With just a couple of days left to the month, the window to visit the Old Ski Bowl via Everitt Memorial Highway is coming to an end. The road is traditionally closed on November 1st. My family and I decided to head up there Sunday evening in order to catch one final sunset up there. Although there is still a couple days left, the odds of heading up there are not very high, so this was our opportunity.
The conditions were good, but seemed less than ideal for a really spectacular sunset. The sky was clear of clouds around the mountain and a controlled burn near McBride Springs had been putting out a lot of smoke for the last few days. The haze from the burn hung too low to make the visibility at the Ski Bowl an issue but I wasn’t sure how things would look from above. It turns out there was no cause for concern. The view was incredible.
Grey Butte glows with just a light dusting of snow.
There’s little snow on Mount Shasta but the classic Old Ski Bowl view is awesome nonetheless.
The mountain was a great feature as the sun set and it glowed nicely. Even without much snow, the red andesite catches the sunlight and offers color and texture as the sun sinks below the horizon. I’m still ready for the mountain to turn white again. On this trip, however, the mountain was not the star. The view to the south and the west stole the show.
Looking southwest, toward the Castle Crags and the Grey Rocks.
A magnificent view west, with the dragon’s teeth of the Trinity Alps lining the horizon.
The sun fades over the hazy Sacramento River Canyon.
The smoke from the burn captured the sunlight beautifully and made the whole valley glow. It was one of the prettiest sunsets I have seen from the Old Ski Bowl in a while. It was a great conclusion to the season.
On the way down the mountain, the fires burning in the forest seemed ominous. No one was there watching them and the dancing flames could be seen scattered throughout the forest in the distance like will-o-wisps. What a great entrée into Halloween.